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Interview: Gone Fishing: Gareth Brooks And The 2026 Eisner-Nominated Graphic Adaption Of The Compleat Angler

Chad Burdette

By Chad Burdette

 on 

 

A foundational environmentalist text centuries ahead of its time, The Compleat Angler is one of the most reprinted books in the English language. From the ruins of the English Civil War to the challenges we all face today, Gareth Brookes’ highly original multimedia adaptation of Izaak Walton’s classic focuses on its instructional aspects, highlights its eccentricities and contemplative themes of nature and friendship, and draws parallels between today’s politically divided and ecologically endangered England and that of the 17th century.

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Gareth Brookes studied printmaking at the Royal College of Art. His graphic novels include A Thousand Coloured Castles (2017) and The Black Project, which was nominated for an award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, 2018. His work has appeared in ArtReview, been published by Kuš, and was included in the “Comics Unmasked” exhibition at the British Library in 2014. His last graphic novel, The Dancing Plague (SelfMadeHero, 2021) was hailed by The New York Times as “Visually stunning”: “With fire and needle, Brookes crafts a book the likes of which we’ve never seen before.”

Following Brookes’ similarly ambitious The Dancing Plague, which proved to be a major inspiration for Florence and the Machine’s Dance Fever album, this adaptation is lovingly rendered in both linocut carving and hand-drawn pen-and-ink to contrast the meditative and the instructional in Walton’s writing, helping connect humanity with nature and folklore with fishery.

As a historical angling guidebook, this 350-year-old manual makes the perfect gift for any enthusiast who appreciates the traditions of their craft. Its meditative writing reflects our increasing focus on mental health and well-being, and post-pandemic desires for calm, mindful pursuits along with a return to nature.

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SHORTS

How I Made The Complete Angler: Linocut To Print

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Isaac Walton, Crown Jewels, and The Complete Angler’s Origins

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The Compleat Angler: A Graphic Adaptation

A foundational environmentalist text centuries ahead of its time, The Compleat Angler is one of the most reprinted books in the English language. From the ruins of the English Civil War to the challenges we all face today, Gareth Brookes’ highly original multimedia adaptation of Izaak Walton’s classic focuses on its instructional aspects, highlights its eccentricities and contemplative themes of nature and friendship, and draws parallels between today’s politically divided and ecologically endangered England and that of the 17th century.
Following Brookes’ similarly ambitious The Dancing Plague, this adaptation is lovingly rendered in both linocut carving and hand-drawn pen-and-ink to contrast the meditative and the instructional in Walton’s writing. As a guidebook on how to fish, this 350-year-old manual makes the perfect gift for any angling enthusiast, and its reflective writing connects with post-pandemic desires for calm, mindful pursuits and a return to nature.
Words by Izaak Walton
Art by Gareth Brookes
The Compleat Angler: A Graphic Adaptation is now avaiable for purchase at book stores and https://www.selfmadehero.com/
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